Four Frequently Asked Questions about EMDR Therapy
There are many types of therapy techniques that psychologists and trained counselors implement to provide their clients with the best strategies to create positive brain connections and heal their traumas. When you battle with mental health, you may visit your therapist and hear about the newest or latest techniques in the field. EMDR therapy in Orlando is just another practice that many counselors implement to help clients overcome their symptoms of trauma or emotional distress. These are a few things you should understand about EMDR and how it works.
What is EMDR?
EDMR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. Although this may sound like a mouthful, this technique involves retraining the limbic system to fully process the traumatic event or emotional distress that once occurred. Typically, your brain will have a natural response to a situation and move on from it. However, in times of trauma, your brain will signal the limbic system to have a fight or flight response. Those who cannot process the experience will keep the memory stuck in the limbic system, which will continue to trigger over time.
What do these sessions look like?
When you choose to undergo EMDR, your therapist will first ask you to identify a traumatic memory or experience. Your therapist will them move their fingers in a bilateral movement in front of your eyes, which is meant to simulate the REM cycle. As you follow their fingers or small lights with your eyes, you should experience something. This can result in an intensity of the memory, or it can result in a decreased emotion when thinking about the memory.
What is the goal of EMDR?
During the sessions of practicing EMDR, your therapist will install a new cognition, or memory, meant to replace the traumatic memory. This new positive cognition will then be practiced repeatedly until the tension in the body is fully released and the positive memory has fully replaced the trauma. Many people find this method effective in drawing more positive thoughts and removing negative responses to triggers.
Is EMDR used as the only course of treatment?
Many therapists will combine the practice of EMDR with other forms of therapy, such as talk therapy or even medication management, to provide you with comprehensive counseling. Remember that EMDR is not for everyone. Some people do not respond to this form of treatment, and you need to discuss your progress with you therapist to evaluate the best possible course of treatment for you.
EMDR can be extremely helpful in those dealing with past traumas or healing from emotional distress they have experienced in their past or present. When you are trying to overcome past struggles or wish to heal from your emotional trauma, you may want to consider trying EMDR therapy in Orlando.
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